History of the House at 45 Beacon Street

History of the House at 45 Beacon Street

In 1806 Charles Bulfinch (a famous Boston architect) completed the house at 45 Beacon Street for Boston's third mayor, Harrison Gray Otis. Otis resided in this house until his death in 1848. After Otis's death there were three owners of the house until the American Meteorological Society purchased and renovated it in 1958. Executives and staff moved into their new headquarters in 1960. There are 37 rooms in the historic house (the house at 45 Beacon Street is one of the 44 great houses listed in the book Great Georgian Houses of America, published in 1933), including 10 bathrooms, 15 fireplaces, four stair halls, four elevator lobbies, a wine cellar, and a Carriage House (the only remaining carriage house on Beacon Hill today). More than 40 staff members and the executive director administer all AMS activities at the 45 Beacon Street location. The AMS K-12 education and policy programs are executed at the office in the nation's capital, at DC Office: 1200 New York Ave NW, Suites 450 & 500, Washington, DC 20005-3928.